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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 31/08/2007(UTC)
Posts: 75
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according to the Telegraph, 10th August 2008:
telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2535092/Demand-for-allotments-soars
Lets hope that Redbridge residents have chosen to give a resounding 'thumbs-down' to the sale of allotments in our borough.
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 04/12/2008(UTC)
Posts: 2
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Is it true...??? wired thing..
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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Demand for allotments is soaring and, considering that the activity demands quite a lot of effort, the success rate of establishment of newcomers is really excellent.
If you want an allotment, look at the redi website. My name is on the website so, contact me if you want an allotment in Barkingside, but we have reached the stage that we are looking at very overgrown areas to take on newcomers. (The soil underneath is brilliant, so the effort is well worth it.) And we are really nice and helpful.
As far as the threat of relocation is concerned, never say never, but we are a strong community and growing in numbers. Relocating us will not be a piece of cake.
annesevant
:d
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 28/11/2008(UTC)
Posts: 80
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:d
Good for you I hope after all the scandal over allotments recently you will get to keep the allotment for ever!!
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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Thank you crazycat. Lots of people are making great efforts to keep traditional British allotments going in Redbridge. (I know there are allotments in other countries, France for instance, but the British ones are special!)
A vast spectrum of us are so united and work together. Allotments are precious at many levels.
annesevant :d
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 28/11/2008(UTC)
Posts: 80
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:)
Yes people power is a must in this day and age.
I am sick to death of people trying to make life unpleasant for us all, especially recently with LBR councillors who tried to take away the allotments from the people who love and depend on their little piece of enjoyment in life!
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 16/09/2007(UTC)
Posts: 874
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The Big Con versation gave an indication that the sales of allotments would not be popular. Howver, how concrete is the "decision" of the council? There are still hurdles to go through first.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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Welcome back to Bryan, one steady allotment fighter!
No, the allotments are not safe, we have not been told they are safe, just that the Cabinet are aware of the opinions voiced in the Big Conversation.
Something I have heard,many times now, at various council meetings, is that nothing is ever set in stone anyway! (Not even a lenghty ban from this forum by the look of it!)
We need a proper allotment policy and, hopefully, somebody in the legal department is doing something about it.
In the meantime, what allotment people are doing is making sure the existing sites are used to the max.
annesevant
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 16/09/2007(UTC)
Posts: 874
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I do hope that the legal team are working on this. And I hope those on the Allotment Forum" will work together with us, and work out the best way forward.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 31/08/2007(UTC)
Posts: 75
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Yay! Demand for allotments is STILL soaring...
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7898314
8)
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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I wanted to comment on Edward Oliver's post about soaring demand for allotments.
He is absolutely right: the sites I know about, (in Area 3) are now in the nice situation to be very full. We are keeping some nature heavens (a minute percentage of the area, I hasten to say!). This is allowed and these special areas are a must. Lots of sparrows and lots of slow-worms. Both are precious. So are our potato patches!
annesevant:d
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 06/11/2008(UTC)
Posts: 232
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There was a very good article in the Guardian today by George Monbiot, apparently allotments were the sop to the peasants when the rich people stole the land or as he put it - "The General Enclosure Act of 1845 took 615,000 acres from the poor and gave them 2,200 acres of allotments in return"
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 16/09/2007(UTC)
Posts: 874
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etoc2001 wrote:There was a very good article in the Guardian today by George Monbiot, apparently allotments were the sop to the peasants when the rich people stole the land or as he put it - "The General Enclosure Act of 1845 took 615,000 acres from the poor and gave them 2,200 acres of allotments in return" History attempting to repeat itself?? Just to reminf the Cabinet, there are still unanswered questions from over a year ago!!
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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To be fair to Redbridge Council, they only wanted to swap existing sites for new sites. This we were not happy about because it would have meant uprooting well-established sites and starting anew. As I commented before, a site is quite a complicated system and it is not simply about providing newly dug up rectangles of earth with money to replace your soft fruit bushes.
Thanks goodness our allotments are statutory and have some kind of legal protection and, thank you also to the Big Conversation.
However, this means that, now that most sites are full, there must be plenty of land available to offer to prospective allotmenteers.
So, Redbridge might suddenly find itself a very generous allotment provider!
annesevant:d
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 28/11/2008(UTC)
Posts: 80
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Redbridge Council Fair? Now come on I have never known them to be that!
I have lived in this area for over 20 years I have seen a lot of changes mainly to our "Greenbelt" land which has all but gone if they get their mucky little hands on peoples allotments then that will be that!!
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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I have just looked at home page and read again the blurb about the allotments in Redbridge and their future and I should be drowning my joy in buckets of whatever potent brew we can create out of rhubarb because, apparently, we are keeping our beloved allotments as they are, where there are.
Why is it that I am still worried?
Perhaps it is because the new document is using exactly the same preparation work than the previous disposal document. The data was obtained from us at the time without mentioning how important it was. I think that doing a new survey should be a must considering our new awareness and also the massive influx of newcomers who might want to express their views.
A new strategy should mean starting from scratch not drawing alternative conclusions from the same old data. (Apart from the occupancy figures which have been updated, I must admit.)
A new strategy should involve asking us what we want now. Not use what some of us wanted years ago.
Redbridge Council, show us you mean what you say: thriving allotments in Redbridge.
annesevant
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 16/09/2007(UTC)
Posts: 874
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Very difficult to believe and trust isnt it!?!
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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It would appear that somebody (not us!) has sprayed quite a lot of weedkiller, through the fences and gates, onto the allotments along Mossford Lane. It is very noticeable that some of my comfrey plants, well within the site, have turned brown. The comfrey further away are intact. Some grass too is affected.
If this has been done as part of a pavement clearing exercise, somebody has gone beyond the guidelines and has got carried away.
My question is: what chemical was used and how do I dispose ecologically of the damaged vegetation?
Could I be told which department I should contact with some hope of a response?
annesevant
:evil:
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 12/12/2007(UTC)
Posts: 1,023
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Hello,
It is unlikely that the excessive weed spray is down to the Highways contractor since they use an applicator that sprays a minimal amount of weed killer on to a specific weeds. It is a contact weed killer so the operative does not spray the whole footway, only specific weeds. However, I will advise the contractor of the problem and ask his operative to be specially careful around the allotments in future.
If the problem was caused by our contractor, the weed killer they use is similar to standard garden weed killers and no special requirements are needed for disposal of treated plants.
Regards,
Group Manager
Highways & Engineering Services.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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Thank you to the redimanager for investigating this on our behalf.
Thank you for contacting the contractors to mention the possibility of some over enthousiastic spraying of perceived weeds.
I would be amazed if anyone of us had sprayed weedkiller over the 150yards or so along Mossford Lane. (This would be against our guidelines.)
I did not see it happen so I have to keep an open mind. What I will do is leave the yellowying grass (and other plants) and wait until the grass is growing green again to cut it down.
Out of interest, do the contractors wear any clothing which would make them look 'official'?
This because, earlier on this year, I have seen people (men and women) walking along pavements and kerbs and applying a liquid spray on non existent weeds . They were dressed in ordinary clothes. I puzzled at the time but did not make a fuss. (For once!)
annesevant
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